The Diesel Loco Shed in Tiruchi is working towards achieving the Integrated Management System (IMS) certification before this fiscal. The shed is engaged in the maintenance of a fleet of broad gauge diesel locomotives of different variants including the high horse power ‘EMD’ type engines.
The IMS is a combination of three international standards – ISO 9001 Quality Management System, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
In the run up to the certification, the shed has initiated the process by carrying out calibration of instruments, providing personal protective equipment for its employees and carrying out intensive training to its technical personnel.
The over 40-year-old Tiruchi shed would become the first among the four diesel sheds in the Southern Railway zone once it achieves the IMS certification. The other sheds are located at Erode, Ernakulam and Tondiarpet in Chennai.
Implementing the salient features of these international standards would facilitate the shed to continually improve upon safety, reliability and availability of its diesel locomotives.
One of the premier diesel loco sheds in the country, the Tiruchi shed maintains 10 different variants of broad gauge diesel locomotives and a metre gauge loco, which is being operated in the Coonoor-Udhagamandalam Nilgiri Mountain Railway system. At present the shed homes 131 locomotives including diesel power cars for DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Units). Majority of the locos belong to the ‘Alco’ and ‘EMD’ types, officials told ‘The Hindu’.
Further, it is the only shed in the Southern Railway zone to hold the highest number of 45 newly manufactured 4,500 high horsepower ‘EMD’ diesel locomotives that can chug at a maximum tested speed of 140 km per hour.
Railway officials say the documentation exercise ahead of third party audit for the certification was almost over. The shed would be inviting a globally reputed certifying agency to carry out the third party certification audit. All stake holders of the diesel shed – loco pilots, employees and the society would stand to get benefitted through implementation of these international standards, a senior official said.
The officials have planned to invite the certifying agency in December for an audit of the systems in place.
